Nikiski grads 'go out with nothing'

In the spirit of the tradition of graduations, Nikiski High School graduates were given a message Tuesday night: GOWN  go out with nothing.

The message was delivered by keynote speaker Lee Moore, who told the graduates this would help them keep their life priorities straight.

"When it comes to the end of your life, I want you to think about what people say at your death bed," Moore said.

He said that they will never wish they spent more time at the office but had spent more time with family and friends.

"Find the things that were important to you," he said.

To drive the point home, Moore took bags of candy and running around the gym threw it to the audience screaming, "go out with nothing."

With 68 graduates, the ceremony took place in the packed high school gym with students filling the bleachers parents sna photos as their children walked across the stage, while other members of the community showed up in force to voice their support.

Each student was cheered and celebrated by the crowd throughout the ceremony as they prepared to move to the next step of their lives.

Lance Penhale is one of those students. Penhale is preparing to attend a preparatory school for West Point, the U.S. Military Academy.

After attending this academy, he will automatically be accepted to West Point, he said.

He said he first heard about it when he received a letter from the military. After making some inquiries, talking to people familiar with the military and making a visit to the campus, he said he was sold on the idea of attending.

"I was just blown away by the unity of all the cadets," he said.

Thinking back to Moore's speech at graduation, Penhale said he was able to apply the message to his future plans, adding that the speech was "awesome."

Penhale cited one of Moore's quotes in the graduation speech: "He who leaves with the least toys wins."

Paul Morin, Ben Kellie and Kristen Federic are the valedictorians for the class of 2005.